To Live and Die in L.A. (Wang Chung song)
1985 theme song
"To Live and Die in L.A." is a song from the soundtrack of the same name by the English new wave band Wang Chung. Released on 25 September 1985 by Geffen Records, the single peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 41.
On the To Live and Die in L.A. DVD audio commentary, director William Friedkin stated to Wang Chung that he "didn’t want a theme song for To Live and Die in L.A." One day, though, Jack Hues and Nick Feldman gave Friedkin a copy of "To Live and Die in L.A." (to his dismay). Surprisingly, Friedkin was impressed and decided to keep the song as part of the film and soundtrack.
The album version includes additional lyrics not included in the single version.
The song is used as the intro music to John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA, and its successor show Everybody's Live with John Mulaney.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “To Live and Die in L.A. (Wang Chung song)” is 1985 theme song. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Live, Wang and Chung, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1985 theme song” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7811009. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1985.
Later fame can flatten the distinction between original context, subsequent adaptation and institutional collecting history. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “To Live and Die in L.A. (Wang Chung song)”, its source revision and the description used here.
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- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “To Live and Die in L.A. (Wang Chung song)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.